Abstract: A new and useful electrical connecter is provided, that is designed to protect existing electrical outlets from trauma and destruction, by preventing them from being dislodged by movement of a patient support such as a hospital bed, or scraped off of the wall by passing (moving) machinery, hospital beds, equipment and vehicles during the normal use of the bed, the machinery, or equipment. In this application reference to an electrical plug component encompasses traditional 2 or 3 prong plugs that plug into grounded or ungrounded wall outlet sockets, as well as phone or laptop jacks that would plug into wall outlet sockets configured for such jacks. In addition, a new and useful coupling structure, for electrical couplings that need to be spaced from a wall socket, is provided.

Abstract: A wheel chair with several new and useful features is provided. Those new and useful features provide the wheel chair with enhanced lateral stability, automatic cocking of an automatic locking device whenever an occupant sits in the wheel chair, and a holding mechanism that enables the wheel chair to be freely wheeled about when there is no occupant, and automatically move to a cocked state as soon as an occupant sits on the chair. The result is an automatic locking system for a manual wheelchair that unlocks the wheels for intentional motion when the chair is occupied, and locks the wheelchair wheels immediately when it is unoccupied, yet in no way interferes with the typical locking mechanism of the standard manual wheelchair when so desired.

Abstract: A new and useful electrical connector is provided, that is designed to protect existing electrical outlets from trauma and destruction, by preventing them from being dislodged by movement of a patient support such as a hospital bed, or scraped off of the wall by passing (moving) machinery, hospital beds, equipment and vehicles during the normal use of the bed, the machinery, or equipment. In this application reference to an electrical plug component encompasses traditional 2 or 3 prong plugs that pima into grounded or ungrounded wall outlet sockets, as well as phone or laptop jacks that would plug into wall outlet sockets configured for such jacks. In addition, a new and useful coupling structure, for electrical couplings that need to be spaced from a wall socket, is provided.

Abstract: A wheel chair with several new and useful features is provided. Those new and useful features provide the wheel chair with enhanced lateral stability, automatic cocking of an automatic locking device whenever an occupant sits in the wheel chair, and a holding mechanism that enables the wheel chair to be freely wheeled about when there is no occupant, and automatically move to a cocked state as soon as an occupant sits on the chair. The result is an automatic locking system for a manual wheelchair that unlocks the wheels for intentional motion when the chair is occupied, and locks the wheelchair wheels immediately when it is unoccupied, yet in no way interferes with the typical locking mechanism of the standard manual wheelchair when so desired.

Abstract: A new and useful apparatus and method are provided for removing a foreign object from a rectal cavity. An anoscope is configured for insertion through the anus into a rectal cavity. The anoscope has a base and introducer with guides that route flexible members and a flexible sheath that are carried by actions of the operator through the anoscope beyond the guide and further into a rectal cavity and to expand about a foreign object in the rectal cavity. The anoscope also carries a noose that is manipulatable from outside the patient's rectal cavity to tighten and stricture the flexible sheath above the foreign object and capture the foreign object within the flexible sheath, so that the foreign object can be manipulated by the noose and the flexible sheath to remove the foreign object from the rectal cavity once the anoscope and flexible ribs are removed from the anus.

Abstract: A new and useful protective cushion for a foot rest bracket of a wheelchair and to a new and useful method of providing the protective cushion to a foot rest bracket of a wheelchair. A substantially monolithic, nonmalleable, resilient body is provided that has a substantially closed C shape, a relatively soft, cushion like texture and a thickness that is slightly greater than a foot rest bracket of a wheelchair. The C shaped body is biased to a closed shape and can be easily manually operated to open the C shaped body and enable it to surround a foot rest bracket of a wheelchair. The contour of the protective cushion is designed to fit easily and comfortably about a wheelchair leg shaft, and the bracket blade and wheelchair post that typically form the foot rest bracket for supporting a wheelchair foot rest.

Abstract: A new and useful apparatus and method are provided for assisting in transporting a patient in a wheelchair to a desired location, where the wheelchair does not include foot rests. The apparatus comprises a platform for supporting a patient's feet and rollers that enable the platform to roll along a surface while the patient's feet are supported on the platform as an attendant moves the wheelchair with the seated patient to a desired location. The platform is configured to be selectively placed in an immobilizing position in which the platform is immobilized against movement until released, and the platform can be selectively released from the immobilizing position and is thereafter operational to roll along a surface with the patient's feet maintained thereon when the patient is being moved to the desired location.

Abstract: A new and useful apparatus and method are provided for removing a foreign object from a rectal cavity. An anoscope is configured for insertion through the anus into a rectal cavity. The anoscope has a base and introducer with guides that route flexible members and a flexible sheath that are carried by actions of the operator through the anoscope beyond the guide and further into a rectal cavity and to expand about a foreign object in the rectal cavity. The anoscope also carries a noose that is manipulatable from outside the patient's rectal cavity to tighten and stricture the flexible sheath above the foreign object and capture the foreign object within the flexible sheath, so that the foreign object can be manipulated by the noose and the flexible sheath to remove the foreign object from the rectal cavity once the anoscope and flexible ribs are removed from the anus.

Abstract: A new and useful electrical connector is provided, that is designed to protect existing electrical outlets from trauma and destruction, by preventing them from being dislodged by movement of a patient support such as a hospital bed, or scraped off of the wall by passing (moving) machinery, hospital beds, equipment and vehicles during the normal use of the bed, the machinery, or equipment. in this application reference to an electrical plug component encompasses traditional 2 or 3 prong plugs that pima into grounded or ungrounded wall outlet sockets, as well as phone or laptop jacks that would plug into wall outlet sockets configured for such jacks. In addition, a new and useful coupling structure, for electrical couplings that need to be spaced from a wall socket, is provided.

Abstract: Several new and useful concepts for a manually propelled vehicle such as a wheel chair are provided. In one concept, the vehicle is configured to be selectively placed in an automatic lock condition in which (i) the wheel chair can move in a conventional manner while an occupant is seated in the wheel chair, and (ii) the wheel chair is automatically locked against movement when an occupant begins to rise from a seated position on the wheel chair. In another concept, a particularly secure structure is provided for locking the wheel of the wheel chair against movement. In yet another concept, important components of the wheel chair are formed in a manner that facilitates assembly of those components into the wheel chair, by an internal fastening system and in a modular fashion.

Abstract: An automatic braking assembly and method are provided, where the automated braking assembly is formed as a complete unit, and is configured to be connected with a manually propelled vehicle. The automatic braking assembly that is formed as a complete unit includes (a) a housing, and (b) an automatic braking mechanism supported within the housing. The housing is configured to be connected with a portion of the vehicle to locate the automatic braking assembly in a predetermined position relative to a wheel of the vehicle, such that the automatic braking assembly will lock the wheel against movement when an occupant of the vehicle begins to rise from a seated position in the vehicle.

Abstract: Several new and useful concepts for a manually propelled vehicle such as a wheel chair are provided. In one concept, the vehicle is configured to be selectively placed in an automatic lock condition in which (i) the wheel chair can move in a conventional manner while an occupant is seated in the wheel chair, and (ii) the wheel chair is automatically locked against movement when an occupant begins to rise from a seated position on the wheel chair. In another concept, a particularly secure structure is provided for locking the wheel of the wheel chair against movement. In yet another concept, important components of the wheel chair are formed in a manner that facilitates assembly of those components into the wheel chair, by an internal fastening system and in a modular fashion.